Lakeland's Guns Galore the latest gun store to be burglarized in Tampa Bay; 46 guns stolen

For the second time in just over a month, Lakeland's Guns Galore has been burglarized. This time, the burglars made off with 46 handguns.

"There are at least two dangerous suspects out there who stole nearly 50 handguns and will now use them and traffic them to a bunch of likely violent thugs and criminals who will in turn use these guns to prey on the innocent public to rob, intimidate, hurt, and possibly kill," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the burglars on Sunday morning broke the front door lock of Guns Galore. They then stole the guns from the display case near the front door.

At approximately 4 a.m., sheriff's deputies responded within three minutes to the burglar alarm notifying them of the intrusion. But the suspects were already gone.

Surveillance video from a neighboring business shows a light-colored sedan turn onto Peachtree Street and park behind the incident location, where two suspects are seen running to the vehicle and fleeing the area westbound from the incident location.

Other video from other businesses in the area also show two suspects dressed in dark pants and dark jackets carrying bags and tools.

Guns Galore had 12 guns stolen during a robbery on Dec. 24 but business owner had not since installed or implemented any additional security measures, according to law enforcement.

"Retail gun dealers have a moral and ethical obligation to safely secure their firearms inventory from theft," Judd said. "Is it too much to ask, Guns Galore, to harden your store and make it a little more difficult for your firearms to be stolen and transferred to the criminal marketplace?"

The burglary marks at least the fifth time in the last 16 months that a gun store in the Tampa Bay are has been targeted.

In October 2015, thieves smashed through an exterior concrete wall to at Shooting Sports on North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa and stole 42 handguns. Four brothers were arrested and charged in connection with the burglary.

Last March, burglars broke through the wall of the Grey Wolf Armory, located in a shopping plaza at Eiland Boulevard and State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, and made off with an arsenal: 30 handguns, two rifles and a sniper rifle.

In November 2016, burglars used a truck or SUV to smash the glass facade of the Tampa Arms Company, 4023 W. Waters Ave., and stole more than 40 guns from a display wall and cabinet. Two Orlando teens wanted on murder charges were arrested in Polk County in December with a gun that matched one of those.

Anyone with information on this most recent burglary is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS or long onto www.P3tips.com to submit your tip online.